Cup cakes are one form of baked goods. Cup cakes refer to small sized cakes that are often baked in individual forms and took their name from the cups they were baked in. This is the use of the name that has persisted, and the name of “cupcake” is now given to any small cake that is about the size of a teacup.
Originally, cupcakes were baked in heavy pottery cups. Some bakers still use individual ramekins, small coffee mugs, large tea cups, or other small ovenproof pottery-type dishes for baking cupcakes.
Currently, cupcakes are usually baked in muffin tins. These pans are most often made from metal, with or without a non-stick surface, and generally have six (6) or twelve (12) depressions or “cups”. The forms may alternatively be made from stoneware, silicone rubber, or other materials. A standard size cup is 3 inches (76 mm) in diameter and holds a volume of approximately 4 ounces (110 g) of ingredients. It is noted that other sizes, such as those for miniature and jumbo size cupcakes also exist. Specialty pans may offer many different sizes and shapes.
Individual baking cups, or cupcake liners, may be used in baking. These are typically round sheets of thin paper pressed into a round, fluted cup shape. Liners can facilitate the easy removal of the cupcake from the tin after baking, keep the cupcake moister, and reduce the effort needed to clean the pan. Liners aid in the packaging and distribution process. The use of liners is also considered a more sanitary option when cupcakes are being passed from hand to hand. Like cupcake pans, several sizes of paper liners are available, from miniature to jumbo.
In addition to paper, cupcake liners may be made from very thin aluminum foil or, in a non-disposable version, silicone rubber. Because they can stand up on their own, foil and silicone liners can also be used on a flat baking sheet, which makes them popular among people who do not have a specialized muffin tin. Some of the larger paper liners are not fluted and are made out of thicker paper, often rolled at the top edge for additional strength, so that they can also stand independently for baking without a cupcake tin. Some bakers use two or three thin paper liners, nested together, to simulate the strength of a single foil cup.
Prior to consumption, the cupcake liner is removed from the cupcake. The removal process is often completed by pinching the fluting and pulling the liner away from the baked product. The pinching process often removes a portion of the baked goods.
What is desired is a feature that would aid in separating a cupcake liner from a baked product without affecting the baked product.